Rajesh Khanna may be postumously conferred with Padma Vibhushan

Apart from Khanna, who passed away on July 18, renowned filmmaker of Sholay fame Ramesh Sippy is likely to be given Padma Shri on the eve of Republic Day next month.

A high-level committee on Wednesday met to shortlist the names for Padma awards amid indication that yesteryear superstar late Rajesh Khanna may be conferred the country's second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan.

Apart from Khanna, who passed away on July 18, renowned filmmaker of Sholay fame Ramesh Sippy is likely to be given Padma Shri on the eve of Republic Day next month, official sources said.

Khanna, who was also Congress MP from New Delhi constituency from 1992 to 1996, was never given the Padma award in his lifetime, whereas most of his contemporaries, including Dharmendra, Dev Anand, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar, Hema Malini and Waheeda Rehman, had got one or the other category of Padma awards over the years.

Similarly, producer-director Sippy (65), too, would be a late entrant of the Padma hall of fame, if the government finally selects him for this award. Many producers and directors of his generation have been conferred with the Padma awards through the years.